Partner Brand Marketing Lead

At JD, we don’t just market brands – we move culture forward. At the intersection of culture, commerce and creativity, this role is about more than marketing – it’s about shaping how the world experiences our partner brands.

As Partner Brand Marketing Lead, you will own and elevate a portfolio of key global brands, turning strategy into category-defining campaigns that drive both brand heat and commercial growth. You’ll operate as a strategic partner, growth driver and cultural curator – connecting brands to consumers through powerful storytelling, seamless execution, and data-led decision making. This is an opportunity to shape perception of some of the biggest global brands in one of the most dynamic retailers, JD Sports.

Responsibilities

• Own and shape the end-to-end marketing strategy for priority partner brands, aligning global brand ambition with JD’s commercial objectives to drive sustained growth.
• Translate global brand vision into locally relevant, insight-led strategies that unlock commercial growth and deepen consumer connection.
• Identify strategic growth opportunities across UK and EU markets, leveraging data, insight and market dynamics to scale partner brands.
• Lead the development of integrated multi-channel marketing campaigns that drive brand heat, cultural relevance and measurable commercial impact.
• Champion a best-in-class, consumer-centric brand experience across all touchpoints, ensuring consistency, premium execution and cultural relevance at scale.
• Own and strategically allocate significant marketing investment, optimising performance to maximise ROI.
• Build, lead and elevate a high-performing team, fostering a culture of strategic thinking, accountability and creative excellence.
• Influence and align senior cross-functional stakeholders across buying, merchandising, retail and digital teams to deliver integrated, high-impact campaigns at pace.
• Act as the strategic conduit between brand partners, internal teams and consumers, ensuring alignment between brand storytelling, cultural relevance and commercial delivery.
• Leverage deep understanding of youth culture, sport and fashion trends to inform strategy and position JD and its partners at the forefront of the market.
• Identify and activate culturally relevant opportunities that elevate brand desirability and drive meaningful consumer engagement.
• Continuously challenge and evolve how brands connect with the next generation, driving innovation across channels, formats and experiences.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience leading brand marketing strategy for global consumer brands.
• A track record of delivering impactful campaigns that drive both brand and revenue growth.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing significant budgets and ROI accountability.
• Deep understanding of the modern media and consumer landscape.
• Ability to influence and lead across complex, matrixed organisations.
• A balance of creativity and analytical thinking – equally comfortable with ideas and data.
• Passion for sports, lifestyle and youth culture, with a sharp instinct for what’s next.
• Able to navigate complexity and thrive in a fast-paced environment, able to work under pressure.
• Outstanding project management experience, managing internal stakeholders, agencies, customers, and other external partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including in brief & presentation writing.
• Retail experience is an advantage.